Electrical wires, harnesses and the like are manufactured in a variety of configurations, including electrical cables having a plurality of discrete wires and flat electrical cables commonly called ribbon cables. Cables of discrete wires simply include a plurality of discrete conductors each surrounded by an insulating sheath or cladding. Ribbon cables include a plurality of conductors in a side-by-side parallel array joined by a flat ribbon or web of insulating material.
Flat ribbon cables have various advantages, versus discrete wire cables, such as "gang" loading of the conductors into connectors as well as easy simultaneous termination of the conductors. In addition, the conductors in a flat ribbon cable have precise predetermined positions relative to each other lengthwise of the cable. The conductors of ribbon cables are much easier to manipulate, handle and terminate while in a constant predetermined array.
On the other hand, flat ribbon cables have various disadvantages, particularly in the cost of such cables compared to discrete wire cables. It is difficult to form branches in a harness from a flat ribbon cable. Conductors of different sizes or wire gauges are not commonly found in flat ribbon cables.
Because of the various disadvantages of flat ribbon cables, it has become desirable to provide wire holding devices which hold a plurality of discrete electrical wires in a side-by-side parallel relationship and, thereby, provide some of the advantages of a flat ribbon cable without the disadvantages thereof. Heretofore, most such wire holding devices are loaded with discrete wires in a direction generally transversely of the axes of the wires. Various latching arrangements are provided to hold the transversely loaded wires in the holding devices, against dislodgment of the wires longitudinally of their axes. Such wire holding devices often are relatively expensive or, if not expensive, rather difficult to manufacture, such as by molding processes. This invention is directed to providing an extremely simple wire holding device of the character described.